لطائر البشر بالأفراح تغريد

وللتهاني ونيل السعد تجديد

The human bird tweets with joy,

And renews congratulations and attaining happiness.

ومربع الفضل مخضر جوانبه

عليه ظلّ رواق المجد ممدود

The square of virtue, its sides are green,

Upon it the portico of glory is outstretched.

ونصرة واجتماع في طريقك قد

تولدا ولهذا الشكل توليد

And victory and gathering are on your path,

Were born, and for this form, birth.

وباب جودك مفتوح لقاصده

كما لسهمك في الاعداء تسديد

And the door of your generosity is open to its seeker,

As is your arrow to the enemies - steady aim.

وجلّقٌ بك قد طابت مشاهدها

وقد زكا شاهد منها ومشهود

And scenes with you are delightful to watch,

And a witness from it is purified and witnessed.

وسامرتنا بها السمر الرشاق ومن

غزلانها غازلتنا الاعين السود

And our nightly talks were graceful flirtation, and from

Its gazelles our eyes blackly gazed.

ووجنة الروض وشي القطر دبحها

لما بدت ولها في الخد توريد

The meadow's cheek was slit for when it appeared,

And it blushed on the cheek infatuated.

والريح شبب بالعيدان من طرب

والطير يطرب ما لا يطرب العود

The wind blew the twigs in rapture

And the birds twitter beyond what the lute stirs.

والنهر صفّق والاغصان راقصة

وللهنا كل وقت فيه تجديد

The river clapped and the branches danced,

And for it every moment was a renewal.

ماذا اقول اذا ما رمت تهنئة

هذا قدوم والا للورى عيد

What can I say if I wanted to congratulate -

This is an advent and isn't it a feast for the world!

تهلك بك في الافراح طلعته

فاعتادنا منه تهليل وتحميد

Your risings in joy are so radiant

We're accustomed to from it exaltations and praises.

على علاك لقد ضل العدى حسدا

ان الكريم على علياه محسود

For your ascension the enemies enviously wandered astray -

For the noble one, his ascents are envied.

لم يبق جودك لي شيئا اؤمله

هذا لعمرك في الدنيا هو الجود

Your generosity has left me naught to hope for -

By your life, this in the world is generosity!

عطفا فما لي عنك اليوم من بدل

وفي ضميرك مما قلت تأكيد

Please turn to me - for me from you today there is no substitute,

And in your conscience is confirmation of what I have said.

في وصف معناك واللفظ البديع لقد

حلا جناسي منظوم ومنضود

In describing your meaning and excellent phrasing

My rhymes fittingly paired and scanned.

تعددت فيك امداحي فلي عدة

من راحتيك وللاعداء تعديد

My praises of you multiplied - so my comforts from you multiplied

And for the enemies - enumeration.

يا منهل الفضل يا من بر جودك لن

اظما وبحرك للعافين مورود

O font of virtue! He whose kindness the thirsty drink from,

I can't keep silent, and your sea if grace is gushed forth for the worthy.

ان كان سيبك ابطا في تأخره

فآتني بجميل منك موعود

If your sword in its drawing was slow,

Then bring me the beautiful from you promised.

يظن قوم باني قد مدحتهم

وانت في مدحهم بالذات مقصود

Some folk think I praised them

While you in praising them is meant!

وان مدحت سواك اليوم فهو اذا

تهكم فيه تخويف وتهديد

And if I praised others today then it is, when

I mock them - intimidation and threat.

قاسوك بالغير من جهل فقلت لهم

شتان في الفضل معدوم وموجود

They underestimated you in ignorance, so I said:

Far apart in virtue are absence and presence!

هذا الذي لا عن العليا ينام ولا

بصده عن طلاب المجد تفنيد

This one who does not sleep from the most high,

And does not neglect seeking the glory hounds.

قاضي القضاة ومن بالفضل قد شهدت

له الاماثل والغر الاماجيد

The judge of judges - and one whose superiority

Peers and the noblest titles have witnessed.

اليه تسند اخبار النوال وقد

صح الذي قد روت تلك الاسانيد

To him belong the news of grace, and indeed

True are those reports and their chains.

باحمد الاسم قد فاق الورى كرما

وفعله كأبيه فهو محمود

Ahmad the name who exceeded the world's nobility,

And his actions like his father - so he is praiseworthy.

به زهت حسنات الدهر وانتظمت

كما ينظم بالحبات عنقود

By him the age's virtues shone and strung together

As beads string on a necklace.

در المكارم من جدواه قلدني

وليس ينكر قول فيه تقليد

The house of virtues - from his overflow I was collared,

And none refutes what says of him is mimicked.

على محاسنه الاجماع منعقد

وها عليه لواء المجد معقود

Consensus on his beauties is concluded,

And the banner of glory tied to him.

شاد الفخار وقد ساد الورى رتبا

مذ كان في المهد طفلا وهو مولود

He built pride and presided the world rank

Since he was a babe in cradle - born.

كل المكارم في اوصافه جمعت

لكن يداه لها في المال تبديد

All virtues in describing him gathered,

Except his hands for wealth have spent.

خذها قصيدا لعقد الدر واسطة

بديع تركيبها ما فيه تعقيد

Take it as an ode to link pearls and a means

Exquisite its composition without over complication.

مخطوبة ما بدت يوما لخاطبها

الا ودينارها المنقوش منقود

Betrothed, she never appeared to her fiancé

Except her engraved coin was minted.

بجيد اللفظ قد حليت عاطلها

كما تجلى من البيض الطلى الجيد

Adorned with the excellent words is her spinsterhood

As the fine pottery glazed white.

تفني الليالي مع الايام قاطبة

وذكرها لك باق فيه تخليد

The nights and days in their entirety wane,

And the memory of you in it is immortalised.

فلا برحت شهابا في العلا رصدا

ونجم طالعك الميمون مسعود

She did not cease a shooting star closely watched,

And your auspicious lucky star rising.

ما طاب حسن ابتدائي بالمديح وما

لي في ختام حلت تلك الأناشيد

No sooner the beauty of my beginning with praise shone,

And no conclusion to me came those eulogies.